Premium
Magnetopause transects from two spacecraft: A comparison
Author(s) -
Hu Qiang,
Sonnerup Bengt U. Ö.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl010751
Subject(s) - magnetopause , spacecraft , physics , geodesy , geophysics , transect , magnetosphere , geology , robustness (evolution) , magnetosheath , magnetic field , astronomy , oceanography , quantum mechanics , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
We recover two‐dimensional, magnetohydrostatic structures from measured data for a pair of partial magnetopause crossings by the spacecraft AMPTE/IRM and UKS, when they were separated by only about 40 km. After inter‐calibration of the two data sets, magnetopause transects are produced for UKS and IRM separately. They are similar in terms of overall features, indicating robustness of the reconstruction technique. The event was caused by inward‐outward magnetopause motion, as well as by tangential motion of magnetopause structures, first in one, and then in the opposite direction. Implications of observed island structures and intervening magnetic X points for transport across the magnetopause are discussed.